“It is impossible to read the book without getting caught up in his story on an almost hypnotic level.” –Booklist (starred review)

“Should please anyone who enjoys a good comeuppance The talented Mr. Rockefeller could have come right out of a Hitchcock film.” –Library Journal

The Author

A journalist for thirty-five years, Mark Seal is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Death in Africa, about the murdered wildlife filmmaker and naturalist Joan Root. Seal was a 2010 National Magazine Award finalist for his Vanity Fair profile of Clark Rockefeller.

the man in the rockefeller suit

The story of Clark Rockefeller is a stranger-than-fiction twist on the classic American success story of the self-made man- because Clark Rockefeller was totally made up. The career con man who convincingly passed himself off as a Rockefeller was born in a small village in Germany. At seventeen, obsessed with getting to America, he flew into the country on dubious student visa documents and his journey of deception began.

Over the next thirty years, boldly assuming a series of false identities, he moved up the social ladder through exclusive enclaves on both coasts-culminating in a stunning twelve-year marriage to a rising star businesswoman with a Harvard MBA who believed she’d wed a Rockefeller.

The impostor charmed his way into exclusive clubs and financial institutions-working on Wall Street, showing off an extraordinary art collection-until his marriage ended and he was arrested for kidnapping his daughter, which exposed his past of astounding deceptions as well as a connection to the bizarre disappearance of a California couple in the mid-1980s.

The story of The Man in the Rockefeller Suit is a probing and cinematic exploration of an audacious impostor-and a man determined to live the American dream by any means necessary.

Howard Kobata is known as America’s leading fastpitch softball defensive coach. He is known the world over for his unique style of defense-first softball. With over 35 years of knowledge and techniques in fastpitch softball defense, Howard introduces his newest complete “KobataStyle”™ DVD Training Program. Through demonstrations and practice drills, players and coaches learn a better way to increase quickness and power, without relying on sheer strength. In addition to his 3-disc DVD set, Howard is a sought after coach at camps and clinics across the nation.

What is “Kobata Style”. Innovative Coaching Techniques developed by Howard Kobata.

Double Ball Drills

Momentum Development

Speed Emphasis Drills

High-Skill Movement Techniques

Too many players rely only on the strength of their arms to make plays. “KobataStyle”™ methods show you how to use body weight, position and momentum to improve your quickness and power. With this new information and on-field training drills, you will develop your own enhanced ability to catch and throw a softball. Through this 3-disc video set as well as attending camps and clinics you will learn the logic of playing stellar defense. Learn the “Kobata Style”™ in depth by ordering Howard’s training video below.

“KobataStyle”™ Defensive Skills 3- Disc DVD Set: In this 3-disk training set catching, throwing and fielding are all enhanced through application of the “KobataStyle”™. The advanced methods in these three DVDs show players and coaches how to properly use technique, leverage, position and momentum to improve the speed and accuracy of all their defensive skills. This set also includes ‘KobataStyle”™ Team Drills to improve the efficiency of each practice and teach the best approach for developing both fundamentals and advanced skills. In all, with these fastpitch drills and softball tips you will learn how to become a superior defensive player at any infield position!

You will receive 2 DVD’s on improving core softball defensive skills and 1 DVD on team drills. This is the best investment you can make to improve your defensive softball skills and become the best player you can be! Your softball team will thank you!

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“Too many games are lost due to an unbalanced defense where holes in the defense can easily be found by the opposition. Too many outs are lost by “one step” because the defense was too slow. The worst is that many of these “lost outs” were very easy plays and eventually led to the loss of the game. In many situations the players have a tendency to make the plays much harder than really are. Players must learn the logic in fielding to simplify the plays”

The skills taught in these tapes have been a major contributing factor to the success of many awesome ball players at all ages and at the highest levels. I have personally recommended Mr. Kobata’s live clinics across the nation to many of my clients and customers over the past several years. This has only brought the highest praise and regard for these skills that they could express. A special thanks for the past (coaching 1995 14-U ASA National Champions) & continuing success he has brought to my family on the ball field.

Doug Finch Father of Jennie Finch-Olympic Gold Medalist

“As a Midwestern team at 10u ASA nationals in 2000 we learned the hard way, that you DO need an aggressive and quicker approach to infield play at the higher levels of softball. After studying Howard’s tapes and applying the techniques in practice we have seen a dramatic improvement in our infields defensive play. We now are making the routine and difficult plays faster, and this allows us more opportunity to seek the 2nd out for the double-play. I strongly recommend Howard’s Tapes to all levels of Softball teams, if you are looking to take your game to the next level.”

“The best investment any coach could make at any level, most informative tapes I have seen anywhere. Howard is by far the most influential coach and teacher my players and I have ever worked with. On a team level, with the skills he taught me, I was able to take kids, most just recreation ball players to a 2nd place finish at ASA Western Nationals in a period of 5 months from start to finish. This could not have been accomplished without Howard’s instruction of the fine details of defensive play. Do yourself and your kids a favor, buy these tapes, and go to the next level.”